A polyphasic taxonomic study was performed on two previously unidentified Arcanobacterium-like Gram-positive strains isolated from harbour seals. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that both bacteria belonged to the genus Arcanobacterium and were most closely related to Arcanobacterium haemolyticum CIP 103370 T (98.4 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), A. canis P6775 T (97.4 %), A. phocae DSM 10002 T (97.4 %), A. pluranimalium M430/94/2 T (95.7 %) and A. hippocoleae CCUG 44697 T (95.5 %). The presence of the major menaquinone MK-9(H 4 ) supported the affiliation of the isolates with the genus Arcanobacterium. The polar lipid profile consisted of major amounts of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside, an unidentified phospholipid and two unidentified glycolipids. The major fatty acids were C 16 : 0 , C 18 : 0 , C 18 : 1 v9c and summed feature 5 (comprising C 18 : 2 v6,9c and/or anteiso-C 18 : 0 ). Physiological and biochemical tests clearly distinguished the isolates from other members of the genus Arcanobacterium. Based on the common origin and various physiological properties comparable to those of A. phocae, it is proposed that the isolates are classified as members of a novel species with the name Arcanobacterium phocisimile sp. nov. The type strain is 2698 T (5LMG 27073 T 5CCM 8430 T ).

A polyphasic taxonomic study was performed on an unidentified Arcanobacterium -like Gram-stain-positive bacterium isolated from otitis externa of a dog. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that the bacterium belonged to the genus Arcanobacterium and was most closely related to the type strains of Arcanobacterium haemolyticum (97.2 %), Arcanobacterium hippocoleae (96.5 %) and Arcanobacterium phocae (96.4 %). The presence of the major menaquinone MK-9(H4) supported the affiliation of this strain to the genus Arcanobacterium . The polar lipid profile contained the major lipids phosphatidylcholine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside and an unidentified phospholipid (PL2). Major fatty acids were C14 : 0, C16 : 0, C18 : 0, C18 : 1ω9c and C18 : 2ω6,9c/anteiso-C18 : 0 (detected as a summed feature). C10 : 0 and C12 : 0 were present in minor amounts. The results of physiological and biochemical testing clearly distinguished the unknown bacterium from other species of the genus Arcanobacterium . Based on these tests, it is proposed that the unknown bacterium should be classified in the novel species Arcanobacterium canis sp. nov. The type strain of Arcanobacterium canis is P6775T ( = CCM 7958T  = CCUG 61573T  = CIP 110339T). An emended description of the genus Arcanobacterium is also provided.

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Background Trueperella pyogenes is a worldwide known bacterium causing mastitis, abortion and various other pyogenic infections in domestic animals like ruminants and pigs. In this study we represent the first case report of three unusual fatal infections of Grey Slender Lorises caused by Trueperella pyogenes. Meanwhile, this study represents the first in-depth description of the multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) on T. pyogenes species. Case presentationThree Trueperella pyogenes were isolated from three different Grey Slender Lorises, which died within a period of two years at Frankfurt Zoo (Frankfurt am Main - Germany). The three Grey Slender Loris cases were suffering from severe sepsis and died from its complication. During the bacteriological investigation of the three cases, the T. pyogenes were isolated from different organisms in each case. The epidemiological relationship between the three isolates could be shown by four genomic DNA fingerprint methods (ERIC-PCR, BOX-PCR, (GTG)5-PCR, and RAPD-PCR) and by multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) investigating four different housekeeping genes (fusA-tuf-metG-gyrA). ConclusionIn this study, we clearly showed by means of using three different rep-PCRs, by RAPD-PCR and by MLSA that the genomic fingerprinting of the investigated three T. pyogenes have the same clonal origin and are genetically identical. These results suggest that the same isolate contaminated the animal’s facility and subsequently caused cross infection between the three different Grey Slender Lorises. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first epidemiological approach concentrating on T. pyogenes using MLSA.

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